No. 6 PCM ready to prove worth against Norsemen

The Prairie City-Monroe football team’s offensive line is one of the strengths of this year’s Mustang squad.

Friday night, that unit will get its toughest test of the season when Class 2A No. 6 PCM hosts Roland-Story in the opening round of the 2A postseason.

The Norsemen’s defense enters the contest with 21 sacks, so the Mustangs will have to be at their best up front if the home team wants to advance.

“Our O-line is excited for the challenge,” PCM coach Greg Bonnett said. “They have been watching film, and they know what they are up against.”

Friday’s kickoff in Monroe is scheduled for 7 p.m. The PCM/Roland-Story winner faces either No. 8 Dike-New Hartford (7-2) or Southeast Valley (6-3) on Nov. 4.

With only 16 teams in the 2A bracket, every game will be tough moving forward. The Mustangs have outscored their opponents 425-76 this season.

PCM allowed 22 points in district play, but most of the Mustang players have not played in a full game since defeating Class A No. 8 Montezuma in Week 2.

The challenge for the Mustang starters now is showing they are capable of playing at a high level for a full game and proving they are worthy of that state ranking.

PCM is a little bit under the radar when it comes to outside predictions. That is OK to Bonnett.

“I try not to listen to what people are saying and focus more on the film that is out there,” Bonnett said. “There is nothing wrong with being overlooked as long as we take care of what we can control. I have some nice looking rings that have been earned with teams that never stood a chance.”

PCM (8-1) enters Friday night with an eight-game win streak intact. The Mustangs’ lone loss came against 1A No. 2 Pella Christian in the season opener.

Roland-Story (7-2) allowed 7.3 points per game in its seven wins, but the Norse’s two losses were not close, falling 42-6 to 2A No. 8 Dike-New Hartford and 33-13 to 3A Gilbert.

The Norsemen are led by senior tailback Caleb Schlatter, who ranks third in 2A with 1,230 rushing yards. Schlatter is tied for seventh in rushing touchdowns with 16.

In Roland-Story’s seven wins, Schlatter has rushed for at least 128 yards in each game. In the two losses, Schlatter gained only 112 yards total.

“They run an option attack so we are going to have to play fundamentally sound and physical football,” Bonnett said. “They are a nice looking, big offensive line so this game is going to be a test for our guys up front on both sides of the ball.”

Leading the option attack is senior Brett Staton, who has thrown for 1,001 yards and rushed for 314 yards. Staton has 14 total touchdowns. Senior Paul Moats has 285 yards and four TDs on offense and three interceptions on defense.

The Norsemen’s 1,986 rushing yards as a team ranks 15th in 2A.

When Staton throws the ball, he’ll look first to complete the pass to senior Austin Hobbs, who has 16 catches, 341 yards and four TDs.

The defense may be the strength of Roland-Story’s roster. The Norsemen have 21 sacks and eight interceptions this season.

Leading the way is senior Calvin Bright. He has 64 tackles, 18 tackles for loss and 12 sacks. Five of those sacks came in a Week 9 win over West Marshall.

Junior Garek Hurd has totaled 50 tackles, eight tackles for loss and six sacks. Senior Jacob Ford has matched Moats’ three interceptions.

“I think at this point in the season, every team is going to have mostly strengths and that is what I see with Roland-Story,” Bonnett said. “I imagine they are probably saying the same thing about us. I am not sure what the weakness is right now, but I hope I find it early and often Friday.”

While the Mustang defense is allowing only 8.4 points per game, the offense has scored 47 points per contest.

Senior Sheldon Speers made the most of his one year as PCM’s starting quarterback. Speers ranks third in 2A and eighth overall in the state with 1,976 passing yards. He leads 2A and is third overall in passing TDs (28) and first in completion percentage (75).

Bonnett thinks Speers’ feet could be a key in the game against Roland-Story’s stout defense up front. Speers has gained 141 yards and scored three touchdowns as a runner.

“Speers is not afraid to get out and run if they are getting pressure on him,” Bonnett said. “I could see him doing some scrambling around because we are not going to be able to perfectly pass protect them every time.”

Speers may be the key for PCM’s entire team as it seeks a deep run through the playoffs. But the Mustangs are as balanced an offense as anyone in the state.

PCM’s top two rushers — sophomore Wes Cummings and junior Noah Anderson — have combined for 1,340 yards.

Cummings is 29 yards away from 1,000 on the season. Cummings averages 8.4 yards per carry with 13 TDs, and he has recorded 381 yards and two scores on 17 catches. Anderson averages 16.4 yards per carry with eight touchdowns.

Speers’ favorite target through the air is senior Luke Greiner. Greiner leads the state in touchdown receptions with 17, ranks second in 2A with 899 receiving yards and is tied for fourth in 2A with 44 catches.

Greiner also has returned a punt for a TD on special teams and has 32 tackles, nine tackles for loss and two fumble recoveries on defense.

A pair of senior defensive linemen lead the defense with Greiner. Clayton Welch has 27 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, five sacks and two fumble recoveries, while James Snodgrass has 24.5 tackles and 10 tackles for loss. Speers and Nick Dredge each have three interceptions.